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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Bounty~Garden Tour 2010

Ok, so we have a huge garden. We were a little late getting it planted this year--too much rain, not enough time, yadda yadda yadda. Finally, things are thriving and I won't be buying any veggies for several months to come. Love it!

Lemme show you around!

Raised beds

You can see in this post how we made the raised beds from old fences on our property. They sure make weeding easier! It helps with the little ones (and the dog!) too, as it's easier for them to tell what to stay out of. I find that the dirt doesn't get as packed down because no one walks on it, so it's easier to plant and harvest and holds water longer. We (and by 'we' I mean my dear husband) will be building more of these in the future, and we plan to plant grass or a low-growing, high-traffic tolerant ground cover on the walk ways.

Another raised bed and the cutest little gardener!

I just had to zoom in and get this little guy!

Lettuce

More varieties of lettuce.

We have had the best salads lately!

Lettuce and onions

Cilantro

We also have basil and parsley and I just planted a few more herbs. I LOVE using fresh herbs when cooking! Or NOT cooking, due to the heat! We eat a lot of sandwiches and salads in the summer and I'm not complaining!

Spinach

We use organic heirloom seeds, so when things (like this spinach) bolt, we just let it! It will come back next year and we won't have to buy the seed packets. We get our seeds fromBaker Creek Heirloom Seeds and have had really good success with them.

2 varieties of beets

Onions

Carrots

Zucchini

Since moving to the midwest, I've heard the joke about why you're supposed to lock your car and make sure your windows are up. Wanna know why?

Cuz if you don't, your car will be full of zucchini when you get back. LOL!

It really is quite prolific. And as usual, I couldn't plant just one! This is the first week they've been big enough to pick and I think I've picked 7. Yeah. That's a lot of zucchini! I'll be posting some zucchini recipes soon, that's for sure!

Anyway, on with the tour!

Tomatillos

My husband makes the best grilled salsa with tomatillos, tomatoes, jalapenos, onions and cilantro. When all of those things are ripe, you can bet I'll post that recipe too! That is, if I have time between bites! :)

And that, my friends, is where my camera battery died. So I guess you'll have to wait for another garden post later. That wasn't even half!

Inspiration

I love to see changes in ugly things--whether it's new grass after the brown of winter, a free beat-up dresser that becomes a beauty after a few coats of paint, or a life once in shambles that's worth living again. One of my favorite quotes in the Bible is Isaiah 61:3, specifically how God will "give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified." Now that's a life with meaning!